Potential diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic implications of some new regulatory proteins in hematologic...

Multiple cell surface receptors play an important role in the biology of hematological malignant cells. Like already clustered monoclonal antibodies, the use of new markers of differentiation provide some new information about their structure and function. Here we consider the role of few selected regulatory proteins that are most frequently involved in the processes of activation, cell differentiation and proliferation of human hematological malignant cells. These molecules, being either lineage-restricted or multi-lineage cell activation ones, are involved in cell-cell and cell-matrix communications. They are involved in various leukocyte functions such as mobility, interaction with endothelium, and homing. Since physiologic cell growth involves not only cell division, but also programmed-cell death, we considered some apoptosis-regulatory molecules implicated in the clinical heterogeneity of hematological malignancies. The presence or absence of staining for these molecules is not only an important discriminatory immunophenotypic feature, but it appears useful also for prognosis and particularly in an experimental therapeutical setting. The prognostic significance of cell-expression of these molecules has not yet been clearly established, but it might be helpful in the evaluation of stability and progression of the disease.